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On Saturday just gone - July 3rd - I was very
happy to find a minimum of ten Swift Parrots in the old tree plantings
around the Thurgoona TAFE, which is about 6 km east-north-east of Albury,
NSW. There is just a little ironbark flowering and there are also some
Purple-crowned Lorikeets and Black-chinned Honeyeaters getting
around. We've had quite a lot of Regent Honeyeater sightings in
and around Thurgoona over the years, together with other
threatened/declining woodland birds, but never Swifties, at least to my
knowledge anyway.The vast majority of the native tree
cover in the Thurgoona landscape was planted 15-25 years ago so it is
great to see the likes of Regents, Swifties and other threatened woodland
birds responding.
David Webb and i had an excellent day after
that fine start as we headed west and north into the Riverina. Highlights from
the 104 species found included a pair of Black Falcons with a freshly
killed Galah near Morgan's Lookout, north of Walla Walla; at least two
Western Gerygones at Brittas TSR, west of Walbundrie (unusual in
winter); two over-wintering Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and three Flame Robins
(becoming rare this far west) near Jerilderie; Freckled (1) and
Blue-billed Ducks (6+) at Fivebough, Leeton; and a total of 30 Brolgas
at a few locations (just catching the end of the flocking season).
After a long absence from contributing
to birding-aus (too busy bird surveying), regards, Matt
Herring.
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